Scotland! pt 2

[likeroaringlions]

They do reach the Clyde by nightfall, though too late to cross at the ford. There's just light enough left for hunting: dusk, with rabbits coming out. William has them a supper in no time. And the rain has stopped, more or less. A dry-enough night for a cooking fire, and it's not a bad prospect, spreading out the sheepskins and blankets to sleep on.

Cold, though. It would have been nicer traveling a month ago, or even just a couple of weeks.

Comments

[harryhotspur]

"But we shall rise until it doth," Harry says. "Not so good, perhaps, as a chase!"

He suspects they're not quite going to end up taking the watch in turns tonight. But that's alright, he's spent sleepless nights before.

[likeroaringlions]

"No. But we'll get a few miles in."

Well, that's as clean as his arm is going to get. He pulls his shirt back over his head, aware of unpleasant cold sweat now. Ugh. This is why you have to keep moving.

Even if it's just to rejoin Hotspur and saddle the horses again.

[harryhotspur]

Harry gives him a hearty pat on the back once he draws near.

[likeroaringlions]

William answers by bumping his shoulder into Harry's. "Having fun in Scotland, Percy? --Whisht there, Strawberry, Parsnip. Do I smell better now? No blood? Idiot beasts." Good idiot beasts.

[harryhotspur]

"Mock them not! It is no more their fault than-- why, than thine, that thou has not grown accustomed to the smell of blood."

[likeroaringlions]

"Aw, get tae fuck, I'm no such a babe as all that." He's almost angry for a moment, happily angry, ready for a friendly fight; but he's aware he's acting like a bit of a fool already.

[harryhotspur]

"No indeed?" Harry retorts. "And have you not said you have never seen a proper fight, and you a man of eighteen?"

[likeroaringlions]

"Never fought in a proper fight, it's not--I've seen plenty of blood!" Augh, he sounds younger and younger with every word, doesn't he. So he aims a loose punch at Harry's shoulder to make up for it.

[harryhotspur]

Harry just shoots him a look. Does he really want to fight about this?

[likeroaringlions]

Ye-es, but only if it's in good fun? Hotspur doesn't seem quite game for a teenage-boy wrestling match, which...makes sense, really, so William just shoots him an only-half-repentant look back. (The grin probably makes it less than half repentant, to be honest.) "All right, all right, let's get on the road."

[harryhotspur]

Contrary to popular belief, he wouldn't fight over just anything.

Just most things.

"Let us," he agrees.

[likeroaringlions]

It's not just restlessness--it makes sense to move on, of course, on the chance that their attackers might come back with reinforcements. But no one consulted the horses about their extra midnight shift, and they're more inclined to amble than to trot; and indeed fatigue hits William hard and suddenly about an hour after they're back on the road.

...Harry may not be terribly surprised to notice William nodding off in the saddle.

[harryhotspur]

"Come," Harry says when he noticed this. "Let us stop, and rest."

[likeroaringlions]

William grunts a no-I'm-totally-awake grunt. Because see how awake he is? So awake. That's why it takes him several seconds to formulate a reply...which ends up being a rueful agreement. "Next good spot we see, aye."

So it's not too long before they're laying out their sheepskins again, rolling up again in their cloaks, bedding down. And William's offer to take the first shift of watch duty comes out rather less convincing that he means it to.

[harryhotspur]

"Rest you first," Harry says. Because yeah, that's not happening. "I will wake you."

[likeroaringlions]

"Aye...well...do. And I'll take first watch tomorrow night." There, that at least he can sound certain about. Tomorrow night. He'll so take first watch...

He's snoring.

[harryhotspur]

And Harry settles in to watch.